1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to an otorhinolaryngological treatment device to be used for treatment of sinusitis or the like and an otorhinolaryngological treatment method thereof.
2. Description of Related Art
An accessory nasal cavity is an intraosseous cavity adjacent to a nasal cavity, and communicates with the nasal cavity through a small hole called natural ostium. Secretions, bacteria and the like in the accessory nasal cavity are excreted into the nasal cavity through the natural ostium. When the mucous membrane in the nasal cavity is swollen due to common cold-induced rhinitis or allergic rhinitis or the like or the inside of the nasal cavity is narrowed due to deflected nasal septum or hypertrophic rhinitis or the like, however, the natural ostium is stenosed and chronic inflammation is generated in the accessory nasal cavity. Such a disease is called sinusitis. Conventionally, the method for treatment of sinusitis has generally been a surgical operation in which the lesion causing stenosis of the natural ostium is removed by use of forceps, a drill or the like while confirming the video image of the inside of the nasal cavity through an endoscope. In recent years, however, a sinusitis treatment method based on the use of a balloon catheter and not including a surgical operation has been developed, and has been drawing attention from the viewpoint of minimal invasiveness to the patient.
In the treatment method developed recently, a guide wire and a balloon catheter are sequentially inserted into the nasal cavity, and, after it is radioscopically confirmed that the balloon catheter has been disposed in the natural ostium, the balloon catheter is expanded to force open the stenosed part of the natural ostium. According to this treatment method, the communicating passage between the nasal cavity and the accessory nasal cavity can be recovered while greatly alleviating the bleeding in the nasal cavity, damage to the mucous membrane, etc. In connection with this technique, Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2008-513125 proposes a balloon catheter in which a plurality of radiopaque markers for marking the balloon proximal end, distal end and the like are disposed on the inner surface of the balloon. On the other hand, from the viewpoint of prevention of exposure of the patient to X-rays, there is an increasing demand for a balloon catheter which enables easy positioning of the balloon inside the nasal cavity without relying on radioscopy.